Storing recultured yeast temps

[SnakeRider]

So I intend to reculture some coopers yeast as per directions on this forum.

Can I store it long term in my ferment fridge? (16-20 degrees)
or will this require a regular fridge temp? (unknown degrees)

Thanks!
SR

 

[SnakeRider]

I will add to this.... What are the temps that will kill the yeast? frozen == dead? room temp == dead? just curious.


Thanks again!
SR

 

[warra48]

16 to 20 is really too warm for storage if you want to maintain yeast health.

Keep it as cold as you can without freezing it.

How long do you want to store it?

 

[Yob]

If you are culturing it, use it when its ready, if you are storing it, fridge temps for up to 3-4 weeks if you know your viability/vitality and have sufficient amounts.

You can freeze but is a different process and you will need to culture/step again so kinda defeats the purpose of what you want, various threads exist on all these processes.

Sorry can't link on my old phone, but have a search for

Rinsing yeast in pictures

And

Lets freeze some yeast

Cheers

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Keep them in the fridge. Make up some unhppped wort to sg 1020 and pour yeast into this. 600ml pet softdrink bottles are perfect. Should last 12mnths or more. Just release the cap gently occasionaly to let the pressure out. The yeast will still slowly ferment in the fridge. Freezing is possible, but requires the use of glycerine.

Did this many times. Even sent some via post to other brewers.

 

[SnakeRider]

Thanks guys,

Just wanted to get some coopers yeast to see what difference it makes over us-05 in exact conditions.

Will need to store it for about 2-3 weeks.

I will use my normal fridge, I was really hoping to leave all the beer stuff in the garage, hence the question. Thanks!

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

You will need to keep it in the fridge.

Coopers yeast likes to be fermented under 18*ish. If it gets to much higher it can cause bananna/fruity flavours in your beer

 

[SnakeRider]

So after hours of reading and youtube this morning, I have decided that this is a good approach for my first time stealing yeast:

4 cups water
1 cup light DME
bring to boil
set aside to cool
drink 3 sparkling ale tallies :chug:
pour boiled DME into a bottle
shake it like a British nanny
pour sparkling ale dregs into bottle
cover with aluminium foil
place in my ferment fridge for a couple of days.


then for my next brew, add the contents of the bottle when its time to pitch.

Any suggestions or warnings to be heeded from doing this?

 

[TSMill]

Keep them in the fridge. Make up some unhppped wort to sg 1020 and pour yeast into this. 600ml pet softdrink bottles are perfect. Should last 12mnths or more. Just release the cap gently occasionaly to let the pressure out. The yeast will still slowly ferment in the fridge. Freezing is possible, but requires the use of glycerine.

Did this many times. Even sent some via post to other brewers.

What is the rationale behind storing yeast in wort, I thought it was best to maintain the yeast in as dormant a state as possible, and that the prescence of alcohol was not ideal for yeast health long term? I always wash my yeast thoroughly and store under water which has been boiled and cooled (in 50mL sterile tubes which compact down to ~10-20% volume yeast). I've used yeast that has been stored for over 2 years in this manner with no discernable impact on the final product.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

+1 for under water storage in the fridge after washing. I've even been lazy and not washed US05 in a reagent bottle and have warmed up to pitching temp and just pitched unwashed slurry into a brew which turned out OK (I am aware this is far from best practice).

 

[Yob]

I've used yeast that has been stored for over 2 years in this manner with no discernable impact on the final product.

\you have stepped this up I assume? what volumes were the steps?

 

[TSMill]

Good question, I would have gone something like 100mL, 300, 1L, 2L..... stepping up yeast is an imprecise science for me (as is recording dates on yeast vials).

Its that I log my brews in Beersmith I was able to determine the time frame between usages. FYI it was Wyeast 1768PC (English Special Bitter), used in August 2011 and October 2013, but I've used other yeasts with 12 months plus in the fridge with no worries.

First step may have taken a few days to get going, but smooth sailing for subsequent steps (and actual fermentation).

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Yeast stored in a mild wort of sg 1020 provides the yeast nutrients, but does not allow it to produce high levels of alc that will cause mutation.

Even in the fridge the yeast is active, so it needs food to keep it going.

To truly make it dormant it needs to be almost frozen.

Putting it in the fridge only slows it down.

When you add the yeast to your mild starter, put in the fridge as soon as you do.

It works.

 

[TSMill]

Yeast stored in a mild wort of sg 1020 provides the yeast nutrients, but does not allow it to produce high levels of alc that will cause mutation.

Even in the fridge the yeast is active, so it needs food to keep it going.

To truly make it dormant it needs to be almost frozen.

Putting it in the fridge only slows it down.

When you add the yeast to your mild starter, put in the fridge as soon as you do.

It works.

I checked out what they have to say in the "Yeast" book:

Storing yeast under water, as opposed to under beer, is becoming more popular. Sterile distilled water storage puts yeast in a resting state, and some reports suggest yeast can be stored in this manner for years without refrigeration......The key is to use sterile distilled water and wash the yeast slurry several times in the sterile distilled water to remove any traces of beer.

They state a reliable shelf life of 6 months (at 3C), with a maximum of 3-5 years. In comparison, for harvested slurry it states a reliable shelf life of 2 weeks, with a maximum of 6 months.

I realise that storage of clean yeast in a 1.020 wort is kind of between the 2, but interpolating I'd guess that sterile water is still a better long term solution than wort. I'd be keen to see some references to the benefits of wort storage though, happy to be swayed.

 

[Yob]

interesting, I thought there was osmotic pressure from distilled water... got a page reference from the Yeast Book? I'll have to have another read of that.

:icon_cheers:

 

[TSMill]

Yep, page 198 for a description of water immersion, and page 192 for the table of methods/shelf life.

Disclaimer, I don't use distilled water, I use Melbourne tap water (close enough), and boil for at least 10 minutes (to dechlorinate and sterlise). Here's a crappy picture of a vial of La Sirene's Saison yeast, harvested June 2012 (sits crystal clear, but a bit of agitation moving the vial to take a pic). Oops, tubes are 30mL not 50 as stated, I'd guess the yeast has compacted down to 2-3mL or so.

I think another member may be brewing with this one soon, so may get some more data to back up the viability of yeasts stored 12 months + under water.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Well if you want to store under water then do it.

I have allways stored under mild wort and it worked well.

 

[TSMill]

No dramas mate, not suggesting one method is right and one wrong. As I said keen to know the rationale for wort, because if it is inherently better then I will switch to doing it.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Well look at it this way. You can still harvest yeast from a 12mnth old bottle of Coopers without any probs.

 

[Yob]

but there arent fermentables in there Stu, also, not much of it's viable or vital.